ROUND SIX 2012 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY JUNE 17
CRUTCHLOW HEADS NINE RIDER BRITISH CHARGE AT SILVERSTONE

Cal Crutchlow returns home to head the nine rider British charge at the Hertz British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday. The Isle of Man-based Midlander has made a sensational start to his second season in the MotoGP World Championship™ and chases his first podium finish at the sixth round of the Championship round the 3.666 mile Northamptonshire circuit.

The Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha rider is currently fifth in the 18 round Championship just four points behind his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso and five in front of nine times World Champion Valentino Rossi. Last year Crutchlow missed his first British Grand Prix after crashing and breaking his collarbone in qualifying but returns bursting with confidence despite a high speed crash while testing in Barcelona last week.

Cumbrian James Ellison makes a welcome return to the British Grand Prix riding the Paul Bird Motorsport ART machine in the MotoGP CRT category. Ellison, despite some major chattering problems with the bike, is still the highest placed CRT race finisher thanks to his 11th place at Le Mans and finished just out of the points in 16th place in Barcelona.

Former British 125 cc Grand Prix winner Scott Redding and last year’s Silverstone runner-up Bradley Smith lead the highly competitive Moto2™ challenge. Gloucestershire teenager Redding is the still the youngest ever grand prix winner after his success at Donington in 2008. The Marc VDS rider has already been on the podium this season but it’s been a tough year for three times grand prix winner Smith. Riding the Tech 3 Mistral machine it’s been a real battle against the Suter and Kalex framed machines and the 21 year old Oxfordshire rider hopes to be nearer the podium in the 18 lap race on Sunday. Londoner Gino Rea seeks a change of fortune on his British Moto2 debut. Riding the Federal Oils Gresini Suter machine he’s been knocked off in the last two races, on the second bend of the last race in Barcelona.

The two Danny’s, Kent and Webb head the Moto3™ challenge. They both look forward to their home race after tough starts to their campaigns in the new class. Wiltshire teenager Kent looked superb in pre-season testing has only finished two races on the Red Bull KTM Ajo machine while it’s been tough for Webb’s Indian Mahindra team taking on the likes of KTM and Honda in the exciting new class.

Two British Wild card entries bring the British interest up to an encouraging nine riders. Seventeen year old Scotsman John McPhee has already impressed on the Racing Steps Foundation KRP Honda. It’s the Oban teenager’s sixth wild card entry and he’s previously scored 125 cc World Championship points at Silverstone and Valencia. He’s currently competing in the very competitive CEV Spanish Moto3 Championship and two weeks ago finished 19th in the Aperol Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

His team-mate Fraser Rogers makes his World Championship debut in front of the home fans. The 16 year old Wiltshire rider is also competing in the Spanish Moto3 Championship.

Cal Crutchlow:
“The test at Aragon last Wednesday was really important for me because I was unable to make a proper judgment on the new parts after the early crash in Catalunya. To be honest I’m happy to have completed the test and put a lot of laps in because after the big crash I am not in the best physical condition. My ribs are hurting and if I cough it is really painful, so leaving here with a positive test gives me good confidence to take to my home race in Silverstone. They have done a great job altering the circuit for us and it’s a great track. The variery is fantastic with fast and slow corners, long straights and different braking areas. I can’t wait to race there again.”

BRITISH FACT FILE

CAL CRUTCHLOW
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP Team
Born 29/10/1985, Coventry
Titles: 2006 British Supersport Champion, 2009 World Supersport Champion,
2011 MotoGP Rookie of the Year
Position 2012: Fifth MotoGP World Championship
Twitter: @Calcrutchlow
Team Contact: press@tech3racing.fr

JAMES ELLISON
Paul Bird Motorsport ART MotoGP team
Born 19/9/1980 Lancaster, Cumbria
Titles: 2000/2001 European Superstock Champion, 2003 World Endurance Champion
Position 2012: 16th MotoGP World Championship
Twitter: @racing ellison
Team Contact: sue@cartersport.com

BRADLEY SMITH
Tech 3 Racing Moto2 Team
Born 28/11/1990 Oxford
Grand Prix wins: Three 125 cc Spain, Italy 2009 and Valencia 2010
2009 Runner-up 125 cc World Championship, nine Pole positions
Position 2011: Seventh Moto2 World Championship
Position 2012: Tenth Moto2 World Championship
Twitter: @BradleySmith38
Team contact: press@tech3racing.fr

SCOTT REDDING
Marc VDS Moto2 Team
Born 04/01/1993 in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire
Grand Prix wins: One 125 cc Great Britain 2008. Still youngest rider to win a grand prix
2011 Position: 15th Moto2 World Championship
2012 Position: Fifth Moto2 World Championship
Twitter: @Reddingpower
Team contact: press@Marcvds-group.com

GINO REA
Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki
Born 19/9/1989 in Tooting, London
Titles: 2009 Euro Superstock 600
2012 Position: 25th Moto2 World Championship
Twitter: @GinoRea
Team Contact: aldo.gandolfo@gresiniracing.com

DANNY KENT
Red Bull KTM AJO Moto3 team
Born 25/11/1993 in Chippenham, Wiltshire
2011 Position: 11th 125 cc World Championship
2012 Position: 15th Moto3 World Championship
Twitter: @DannyKent52
Team Contact: aki@ajo.fi

DANNY WEBB
Mahindra Racing Moto3 team
Born 22/03/1991 in Kent
2011 Position: 19th 125 cc World Champion and pole position in Valencia.
Twitter: @Danny Webb99
Team contact: Rupert.williamson@jardine-international.com

STONER SEEKS SILVERSTONE REPEAT BUT NOT THE RAIN
He might not want the same amount of rain but World Champion Casey Stoner needs a repeat of last year’s result in the Hertz British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday. The Australian Repsol Honda rider trails the in form Jorge Lorenzo by 20 points after five rounds of the 18 round MotoGP™ World Championship and requires a repeat of last year’s stunning victory in the pouring rain to close the gap.

Lorenzo won at Silverstone two years ago and the Yamaha rider loves the fast flowing corners at the 3.666 miles Northamptonshire circuit. The 2010 World Champion has won three grands prix this season including the last two with Stoner victorious in Jerez and Estoril.

There should be plenty of challengers to the leading duo especially if the rain returns. Stoner’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa was second in the previous round in Barcelona and needs his first win of the season to keep the two leaders in sight. His former team-mate Andrea Dovizioso is getting to grips with the Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha and took his first podium of the year in Barcelona. The Italian finished second last year and is involved in a tremendous battle for fourth place in the Championship with his team-mate Cal Crutchlow who missed the race last year with a broken collarbone. Don’t rule out Lorenzo’s team-mate Ben Spies who’s had a tough start to the season but finished third at Silverstone a couple of years ago.

Four weeks ago nine times World Champion Valentino Rossi finished second on the Ducati in the pouring rain at Le Mans. If the conditions were similar in the 20 lap race on Sunday the Italian could be right up there again to the delight of his legion of British fans. His team-mate Nicky Hayden has finished fourth for the last two years.

German Stefan Bradl returns to the track where he dominated the Moto2 race last year. The Moto2 World Champion had made an impressive start to his MotoGP career on the LCR Honda and is eighth in the Championship two points behind Alvaro Bautista who is getting to grips with the San Carlo Gresini Honda. Karel Abraham picked up his first points of the season in Barcelona but may be forced to miss the race on Sunday because of two damaged fingers.

Aleix Espargaro still leads the CRT charge but will face a big challenge from his Power Electronics Aspar ART team-mate Randy De Puniet, James Ellison and Italian Michele Pirro who was third in the Moto2 race last year. American Colin Edwards finished third last year just eight days after breaking his collarbone and returns on the NGM Mobile Forward Racing Suter BMW.

Controversy still reigns in the highly competitive Moto2 World Championship after the Barcelona collision between the two Spanish rivals Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro. Race Direction initially added a one minute penalty to Marquez’s third place which kept him out of the points. His Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol team protested which was upheld and he was re-instated. Espargaro’s Pons 40 HP Tuenti appealed against that decision. Their appeal is currently being heard so watch this space.

Oblivious to all the drama is Swiss rider Tom Luthi who took the lead in the Championship after finishing second in Barcelona behind Italian Andrea Iannone who currently shares third place in the Championship with the luckless Espargaro. It promises to be a similar weekend at Silverstone.

The Moto3™ World Championship makes its British debut with seven points separating the two leaders. German Sandro Cortese had ridden a very savy campaign on the Red Bull KTM Ajo machine to hold the advantage over 17 year old Spaniard Maverick Vinales who started the race on pole last year. The Blusens Avintia FTR Honda rider has won in Qatar and Barcelona this year but the race has at least half a dozen likely winners. The British public also gets the first chance to see the latest crop of young talent that will be making the MotoGP headlines in the next ten years. Sixteen year old Italian Romano Fenati makes his Silverstone debut after winning in Jerez and is joined by countryman Niccolo Antonelli and Spanish Champion Alex Rins.

HERTZ BRITISH GRAND PRIX TIT BITS
No British rider has ever won the premier class race (MotoGP) at the British Grand Prix. Steve Parrish and John Williams came the closest when they crashed separately while leading on the last lap at the first ever British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1977. Their Suzuki team-mate Pat Hennen won the race.

The last British rider to win a premier class grand prix was Barry Sheene – the 1981 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp. The last British rider to finish on the premier class podium was Jeremy McWilliams who was third in the 2000 British Grand Prix at Donington Park.

The Annual Riders For Health Day of Champions Auction takes place on Thursday afternoon. Already passes, sets of leathers and helmets have been donated by the leading riders and teams.

Rise Again is the new single from The Rainband and is released in tribute to MotoGP legend Marco Simoncelli on 17 June with profits going to the charitable foundation named in his memory.The Rainband were approached by the newly formed Marco Simoncelli Foundation and agreed to write a song to help raise funds to build disabled care homes across the world, a cause close to the racing hero’s heart. The Rainband will play live at Silverstone over the weekend.
“Road To London for Sic,” a journey dedicated to the legendary Marco Simoncelli and organised by members of the Vespa Club di Morciano di Romagna . The ride will go from Romagna to England with 14 vintage Vespas –carrying a replica helmet donated by Paolo Simoncelli to the Riders For Health auction. Proceeds will go to the Marco Simoncelli Foundation.
SILVERSTONE FACTS AND FIGURES
Silverstone circuit staged the first ever British Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1977. Previously the British round of the World Championship was held at the TT races in the Isle of Man. In 1987 the grand prix switched to Donington Park but returned to Silverstone in 2010.
Circuit Length: 5.902 kms
Width: 17 m
Pole Position: Right
Longest Straight: 880m
Left Corners: Eight
Right Corners: Ten
Pole Position Record:
Casey Stoner/Honda
2’02.020 (2011)
Lap Record:
Jorge Lorenzo/Yamaha
2’03.526 (2010)

TELEVISION TIMES
BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT

Saturday 16 June
1250 – 1605 BBC Red Button – Live Qualifying Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP
1930 British Eurosport 2 Qualifying
Sunday 17 June
1105 – 1230 BBC Red Button & British Eurosport 2 Live Moto2 race
1230 – 1430 BBC 2/BBC HD Live MotoGP race
1430 BBC Red Button and British Eurosport 2 Live Moto3 race
And MotoGP Action

CONTACTS
Nick will be available at the circuit from Thursday lunchtime until Sunday night. Please note Nick will not be available to answer the phone during qualifying or the races.